Consequently, this water must exit the air handler—typically through plastic pipe or a drain tube. That drain tube goes directly outside, often terminating near the compressor, or to a floor drain or to a small electric “condensate pump” located by the air handler. Where a condensate pump is used, it connects to a 1/2-inch vinyl or rubber tube that exits outdoors or to a drain.

Duct system installation and repairs affect HVAC installation cost. If you’re installing a new forced air heating or cooling system, your home must have ductwork – if you don’t have ducts installed, a new duct system will need to be designed and installed. Your existing duct system may require air sealing to eliminate air loss, helping your new heating and cooling system operate efficiently.

If you are using existing ducting, it will have to be inspected. Proper ducting loses around 2% to 5% of your energy. Old, leaking ducts can lose 50% or more. A contractor will need to have the ducts inspected and replace any parts ahead of time. If you are changing the size of your HVAC system because of significant changes to your home, you might need to replace the ductwork regardless.

If your AC doesn’t turn off when room temperature reaches the temperature set on the thermostat, the problem is generally occurring either at the thermostat or in the electrical system that runs the outside condensing unit. You can use the AC’s circuit breaker to shut off the unit, but that should not be a permanent solution—circuit breakers are not designed to be used like light switches.
Monday the following week, no phone calls, or follow up. I call to get an update and am told that they cannot install my system because they don't have time. I ask what does that mean, one year? One week? Until the end of summer they say. What does that mean I ask? They say at the end of September. I say thank you for wasting 1 month of my time.
Having the most energy-efficient system ever built won't matter much if it's not maintained. Lack of maintenance is the number one killer of HVAC systems. Before each cooling season, it's recommended that your system get a professional tune-up. However, there are things you can do in the meantime to make sure your system runs efficiently throughout the year.
PickHVAC Tips: First, see the PickHVAC tip above about sizing a central air conditioner. It applies to heat pumps just as much. Secondly, Even if the line set for the new heat pump is the correct size, we recommend replacing the set or at least the fittings. Old lines and fittings are a major source of leaks. When refrigerant leaks out, the heat pump efficiency suffers. Eventually, the unit stops providing heating and air conditioning, and it might break down.
My heat pump/hvac system is not blowing cold air anymore, got checked out was told compressor broken. was told it cost almost the same to repair/replace they recommend whole system. It's the same company that installed it 18 years ago, telling me that system is old and it will cost $9-10k for new system, because furnace has to be replaced with new hvac. what to do, need answers thanks????
Humidifiers/Dehumidifiers: Humidifiers add needed moisture to the air in winter and very dry climates. Dehumidifiers remove dampness any time of the year. Central air conditioners dehumidify too, but in very humid climates, you might want to remove humidity without also cooling the air. You have a good range of options for both of these HVAC accessories. Whole-house humidifiers cost $350 to $800 installed, while dehumidifiers are $1,250 to $2,000 or slightly more.
What you might not know is that the brand you choose is one of the most important factors in determining a fair HVAC installation cost. So, before delving in-depth, let’s take a quick look at the average prices of a new air conditioner and matching coil by brand…keep in mind, these are the average prices (by brand) that contractors pay for your AC equipment, and it is meant to give you a rough guideline until you are closer to buying:
If the AC doesn’t turn off, it may be time to clean the condensing unit. Dirty condenser coils won’t give off heat efficiently and will keep the unit running. Another possibility: The contacts on the outdoor run relay may have welded together—something that can happen over time because of frequent electrical arcing at the relay. Before checking the run relay, turn off the power to the furnace and the condensing unit. Next, disassemble the relay and pry apart the contacts. This should do the trick until you buy a replacement—which you should do soon.

If you believe that the AC's not working or you're getting little or no cold air, check these three things first. Make sure all the registers in the house are wide open. Then be sure the furnace filter is clean. Then go outside and clean off the condenser coils (Photo 2). If several registers were closed or the filter was clogged, the reduced airflow could have caused the evaporator coil to ice up and stop cooling your home. If you've changed the filter and opened all the registers and you're still not getting airflow at the registers, deice the A-coil. Move the thermostat mode switch from “Cooling” to “Off” and move the fan switch from “Auto” to “On.” Let the blower run for at least 30 minutes or until there's good airflow at the registers. Then turn the AC back on to test it. If it works for the next 12 hours, you've solved the problem.

To qualify for a tax credit from the federal government, you must save the manufacturer's certificate from your system. The IRS won't require the certificate at the time you file your federal tax forms, but they recommend keeping it with your records in case of an audit. It proves that you purchased a qualifying product. The government offers tax credits for:

When central air conditioning service fails during a heat spell, you may have to wait days for an HVAC repair technician or an ac contractor to show up, and you'll probably pay at least several hundred for the repair. But if you're comfortable working around electricity and are willing to spend about $50 on parts, you can probably repair your air conditioning service yourself in about two hours and save about $225 on parts markup and labor.

The HVAC industry is a worldwide enterprise, with roles including operation and maintenance, system design and construction, equipment manufacturing and sales, and in education and research. The HVAC industry was historically regulated by the manufacturers of HVAC equipment, but regulating and standards organizations such as HARDI, ASHRAE, SMACNA, ACCA, Uniform Mechanical Code, International Mechanical Code, and AMCA have been established to support the industry and encourage high standards and achievement.
Demand controlled kitchen ventilation (DCKV) is a building controls approach of controlling the volume of kitchen exhaust and supply air in response to the actual cooking loads in a commercial kitchen. Traditional commercial kitchen ventilation systems operate at 100% fan speed independent of the volume of cooking activity and DCKV technology changes that to provide significant fan energy and conditioned air savings. By deploying smart sensing technology, both the exhaust and supply fans can be controlled to capitalize on the affinity laws for motor energy savings, reduce makeup air heating and cooling energy, increasing safety and reducing ambient kitchen noise levels.[29]
We installed a TRANE XL18 HVAC with a TRANE HV80 furnace 16 years ago and it still works great in Tucson, AZ. We inquired into a replacement for the future since the R-22 refrigerant will be off market at the end of this year. Our maintenance folks want to sell me a new system anyway (even though the TRANE works great). We are considering the BOSCH Inverter heat pump as a lower cost option down the road. Watch out for the tricky salesmen trying to sell beer at champagne prices though. Get estimates on whether you need to replace your current system and how much it could cost. And if they are factory certified.
Stick with a maximum of 16 SEER units in most cases. Like I said above, contractors push higher SEER units because they make more money, but these units can be expensive at this stage of development, and can drive up your HVAC installation cost. 21 SEER units run about twice the price of a 14 SEER unit, so unless you live in a desert and plan on being there for 30 more years... Likewise, a 16 SEER unit typically costs only about $600-$1,000 more than a 14 SEER, and will usually pay for itself over the lifetime of the unit.

In the United States, HVAC engineers generally are members of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), EPA Universal CFC certified (for installation and service of CFC HVAC devices), or locally engineer certified such as a Special to Chief Boilers License issued by the state or, in some jurisdictions, the city. ASHRAE is an international technical society for all individuals and organizations interested in HVAC. The Society, organized into regions, chapters, and student branches, allows exchange of HVAC knowledge and experiences for the benefit of the field's practitioners and the public. ASHRAE provides many opportunities to participate in the development of new knowledge via, for example, research and its many technical committees. These committees typically meet twice per year at the ASHRAE Annual and Winter Meetings. A popular product show, the AHR Expo, is held in conjunction with each winter meeting. The Society has approximately 50,000 members and has headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia.

If you are using existing ducting, it will have to be inspected. Proper ducting loses around 2% to 5% of your energy. Old, leaking ducts can lose 50% or more. A contractor will need to have the ducts inspected and replace any parts ahead of time. If you are changing the size of your HVAC system because of significant changes to your home, you might need to replace the ductwork regardless.
So, the total price to a contractor for this project is $7,195.77 (Carrier is expensive), which we’ll use to calculate a fair HVAC installation cost. As I said, we typically use 40% in the industry to cover our own personal profit, as well as our insurance and other expenses. Let’s take a look at page three of a Final Report from our own online HVAC calculator, the HVAC Design & Consultation Program.

My point is that the brand of equipment you choose is going to affect your HVAC installation cost greatly. People often call us for an air conditioning installation job and say, “I would like to install Carrier equipment.” Now, if you are a future client of ours, I’ll have to warn you – I can be a bit of a smart-ass. Why can’t work be fun? Besides…I was in the Navy for 11 years, what do you expect.

Indoor Coil -- The indoor coil is a heat transfer device. It absorbs the heat from the inside of the house and passes it on to the refrigerant and is pumped outside. Dust that builds up on the coil can hamper its ability to absorb heat. High heat transference coils use very thin metal. Airborne chemicals can cause corrosion which leads to leaks. The constant vibration of the compressor can also cause solder joints to weaken and leak. An indoor coil may operate for weeks with a tiny leak, and you may not notice the loss in performance right away. As soon as a leak is made known, it should be replaced or repaired immediately.

If you hear clicking that is followed by a hum or buzz, you’re probably hearing the fan motor attempting to start without the boost it needs from the capacitor. You can almost always conclude that the capacitor has failed. Sometimes you can get the compressor fan spinning (clockwise) by pushing it with a thin stick or long screwdriver poked through the grille. But the chances are good that this might work for one cycle, but the capacitor will fail next time the AC goes on. It’s best to replace the capacitor.